Trust Lessons
by diamondwine
Summary: The sequel to Love Lessons; A young cellist living in New York City falls for Loki, the God of Mischief, who has been parading the world as a regular man. Both of their distraught pasts try on the newfound love.
1. Chapter 1

"Come now, darling. We both know that I do not possess the power to hurt you."

Leonard's eyes were twinkling at me and I swore I saw tears in them. One fell silently as I slowly stopped struggling. The inside of Leonard's right foot was touching my left. It was so chilly, but his grip was not as cold where it held my arms somewhat firmly. I stared into his eyes a moment. Leonard sighed and looked down.

"…Who the hell are you, then?" I asked, not expecting to sound as venomous as I did when I spoke. I slipped around Leonard and backed up until the desk stopped me. I grabbed it unexpectedly with both hands, gasping a moment.

"You've been lying to me," I said more quietly. The man whose name was not Leonard Larsson turned to face me slowly, taking a few steps.

"Stay _right_ _where you are_," I demanded. He stopped, frowning and sighing when he saw the way that I was looking at him, like he was a total stranger.

"I just told you who I am, Jas," he said sweetly. My heart sped up. I closed my eyes for a moment.

"You're right, I haven't exactly been entirely honest with you," he started to explain. It then occurred to me that in all the months I knew him, we never really talked much about _him_. It had always been about me. Leon—_Loki_ made it that way. He never really gave me a chance to ask him about himself. He'd been clever that way, I started to think, keeping our every interaction and conversation centered on me or our shared interests. It kept me from thinking to inquire about him. I knew that I loved him, and that was enough to keep me standing there still. I took a deep breath, still trying to process what was happening.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said. When I looked at Loki, his hands were up a ways, as if he were surrendering. My guard wasn't really up, I just wanted him to think that it was.

"So, what I just saw…what you turned into," I said, afraid to ask. Loki stood to his full height. He had a perfect posture, and had his expression not been very sad, I would have thought him rather haughty.

"Yes, Jasmine," he said speaking slowly, "I am…a frost giant, if you can believe that," he explained. I would have laughed at him if I didn't _know _that it was the truth, "Now, my flower, I believe you know exactly why I refrained from telling you something like that," he said, taking another step. His hands were often very cool on me, and it all really started to make a lot of sense, "I didn't want to scare you," he said, his voice wavering slightly, "I don't always look like that, Jasmine. It's harder to control when I'm sleeping." Loki's brows were clenched together, and the despair on his face was all too legible.

"I didn't want you to fear me. But you're a smart young woman, Jasmine. I knew you were picking up on something—the way you wouldn't stop looking at that," he said, gesturing with his head towards the spear which rested on the floor. I glanced at it.

"I only hoped you would stop prying…but you have seen me now. If you want to leave," he said, standing aside and looking towards the door, "I won't stop you." Loki's eyes fixed on the floor and he waited for me to walk away. After a long silence, I figured out what to say.

"I'm not afraid of you, Leonard," I said. He looked to me slowly, "I mean, _Loki_…do you want me to call you that instead?" I asked, my cheeks flaring when I remembered the bath. Loki turned to face me entirely, smiling slightly.

"You can call me whatever you like," he said, "I don't really know who Loki is anymore, to be honest. I'm not who I used to be."

Without him saying anything, I knew there was a further story involved that I was too tired to hear.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked.

I sighed, "I'm just…I don't know…I just want to go back to sleep," I said, starting past Loki. I felt his hand travel down my back and rest in the middle of it, but not for long, as I walked quickly back to his room. I started to pull the top blanket off the bed. When I turned around to carry it out of the room, Loki was standing in the doorway. I paused.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch, okay?" I said, still not entirely sure I wanted him that close to me. Honestly, what I'd seen scared me more than I cared to admit.

"Nonsense. I won't have you sleeping uncomfortably," he said, seeming to understand my uncertainty about him. Loki came towards me and I stepped back until I felt the mattress under my butt. I still gasped when he took the blanket from me.

"I'll sleep on the couch. You have my bed," he said, not meeting my gaze. The expression on his face was disappointed. A piece of me was slowly withering inside to see him hurt like that. But he had to understand that I'd only just discovered _a lot_ about him, and it was going to take some time to swallow it.

"Goodnight," Loki said, walking out of the room. I felt a slight cold breeze as he left, closing the door behind himself. I laid back on the bed, and after a moment was met with something cold at the back of my head. I sat up and turned over to find icy sheets on Loki's side of the bed.

I smelled pancakes when I woke up. As I sat up slowly and turned to look at my side, Leonard was not there. I mean _Loki_. I was going to have to get used to calling him that. Slowly, I got out of bed. I walked as silently as possible to the kitchen. When I got there, I didn't find my boyfriend. He wasn't playing the piano in the other room, in the loft reading, or in the bathroom showering. I went back into the kitchen where I found a plate of blueberry pancakes and a note in Loki's handwriting. I picked it up. He said he'd gone to my school for a staff meeting, and that he was going to pick up more wine and groceries at the store to make us lunch. The last thing written on the post-it note were the words _I'm sorry I lied to you_. I sighed, accepting that last night had been no dream. I wondered whether Loki was really at a staff meeting; it was a Sunday morning. I thought about it a second and started to wonder if he'd merely meant to give me space. I took two pancakes off the plate and put them on a separate one, drenching them in maple syrup. I grabbed a glass of water and walked into the main room, where the blanket Loki had taken from his bed was neatly folded on one of the cushions. I sat there and ate alone.

I wasn't so angry anymore that he'd lied to me about who he really was. How was I supposed to have reacted to finding out that my boyfriend was a Jotunn, the shunned prince of Asgard? I knew that we had a lot to talk about. I started thinking through what I wanted to say to Leo—_Loki_! I just hoped he'd tell me everything. Without him saying so, I knew that he was afraid I'd leave him. I finished eating and took my plate to the kitchen, where I washed and dried the plate and fork before stowing them away in the cabinet and drawer. I found Saran wrap in a drawer, and I wrapped up the rest of the pancakes and put them in the refrigerator before washing the plate and spatula that had been sitting beside them. I cleaned up what little there was to clean up; Loki kept his home spotless, another quality I admired about him. I then went into the bathroom and ran the bath. I didn't feel like taking a shower, I wanted to submerge myself. It was something I came to realize I tended to do when I was stressed. When I slipped into the water, I started to shiver, despite the warm temperature. All I could think about was the last time I'd been sitting there. I was with Leon..._Loki_. It felt so good. His hands had touched me in all the right places…I slowly shaved my legs which were getting prickly. After washing and rinsing the night away, I stood up out of the tub and felt like I could start life all over again. I stepped out of the bathroom and walked into Leonard's room. I found something to wear and got dressed. I started to make the bed, something Loki often did. I even fluffed the pillows, just like he normally did. I loved his apartment. A painting hung peacefully on the wall over the headboard. I kept meaning to ask Leonard about it, but I often forgot to. Every time I'd lie down to him at night, he was the only thing I could focus on. I grabbed my iPod and earphones and walked into the main room where I sat on the couch. _Last night the sky was grayer than the grave. Clouds so gloomy they put a fear in me…_ I pulled my knees to my chest and closed my eyes, getting lost in the music playing on my iPod. I felt a presence and opened my eyes. I didn't flinch when I saw Loki standing there. He had an interesting look on his face, like he was sad and surprised at the same time. I took the earplugs out of my ears and turned off the device.

"You're still here," he said, his voice gentle in a relieved way I had never heard before.

A sharp pang hit my heart, "You thought I wouldn't be?" Loki opened his mouth briefly to speak, but paused.

"Leonard, I was scared, but it doesn't mean I don't…" I trailed off. He was looking at me so intensely, "Loki? You're going to have to tell me what you prefer me to call you. I can't keep going back and forth," I said. He smiled slowly.

"I told you that you could call me whatever you like," he said, that conniving voice returning. I couldn't ignore the flirtatiousness in it. I sighed.

"I brought some more wine. I thought I would make us something nice," Loki said, gesturing to the bags in his long arms. I looked him once over completely, his pale bare feet on the glossy, dark hardwood standing out conspicuously. I nodded, but stayed sitting where I was. Loki didn't come any closer, and I knew he was convinced that I was still afraid of him.

"Well, I'll get started. We can talk over lunch. You just relax," he said. I nodded and he turned to go to the kitchen. I put my iPod on the coffee table and laid back on the couch. I was too distracted to listen to any music. I was still trying to decide what I wanted to say…_I always found you very tall. It's only fitting that you're a frost giant. Do you get cold in the winter?_ My mind ran wild with words, and I started to smell something fragrant from the kitchen. I laid there for another twenty minutes and then I heard someone coming. I sat up to find Loki where he'd last stood.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to talk first? Whatever you want, we can do," he said, his hands behind his back. There was a hopeful look on his face. I stared at him a few seconds. The white button down shirt he wore was tucked into a pair of black jeans. He had rolled up the sleeves past his elbows, and the shirt was almost dark in comparison to his pale skin. I patted the spot beside me. The best way to describe the grace with which Loki always moved is like a breeze; he breezed over past the coffee table and sat a professional distance away from me. I pulled my feet to my chest again and rested my chin on my knees. He turned to me, pulling one leg up on the couch, tucking the foot under his knee. He rested his elbow on the couch with a sigh, propping his head up in his palm. Loki gazed at me with those green eyes I could never have denied. They looked me over somewhat possessively, and I knew he longed to touch me, but refrained. I inhaled deeply.

"Smells good. What are you cooking?" I asked him casually. Loki smiled.

" Parmigiana and Portabella mushrooms," he grinned. The man could cook. Before Leonard, I had been convinced that most men couldn't cook, but this one constantly surprised me with his skills in the kitchen. I tilted my head to the side, infatuated with him all over again. His pale hand reached towards my face and I watched it tuck behind my ear the hair that had fallen in my face. The way Loki was looking at me let me know that he was just as in love as I was.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he said, his voice taking on a grave tone. His eyes had closed. I reached for his hand. His eyes opened and were filled with some surprise when he saw me do this.

"No, I understand. It just scared me last night, is all."

Loki frowned, "I'm sorry," he said. I shook my head.

"You shouldn't…apologize for who you are."

"That's just it," he said, sitting up so that he was no longer propping up his head, his voice taking on a dark tone, "It's _not_ who I am." He seemed angry. I let go of his hand and wrapped my arm back around my shins. Loki's eyes frowned and the angry expression on his face dissipated.

"Do you know the story, of Odin and his sons?" Loki asked me, his eyes not leaving my hand which had only seconds ago been holding his. I shook my head slowly, and he started to tell me a little bit about his past. During the course of this story, I felt my eyes water multiple times. All Loki had ever wanted was acceptance. He had always felt like less than Thor, that his adoptive father wasn't proud of him. When Loki told me of his betrayals to Asgard, his eyes kept watering, but the tears never actually fell. His emotions went up and down depending on the mood of each memory. He told me about New York.

"Well, then how are you here now?" I asked.

Loki sighed. He was about to say something else when the timer for the oven started beeping. He sat up very straight and stared me down with wide eyes for a handful of seconds before he excused himself and got up to check our lunch. I reached for the tissue box on the coffee table and wiped my eyes.

"Jasmine," Loki called from the kitchen. I stood and went there slowly. I found Loki standing in the kitchen by the table, two plates and two glasses full of food and wine waiting for us. Loki smiled and gestured towards the table. I took my seat and he sat down after me. Loki took a long sip of wine, and closed his eyes. I was almost sure he was about to finish his whole glass as I watched in silence. When he looked at me across the table, he grinned, his pale lips stained red from the drink. The scent wafting up into my nose from the plate became overpowering. Loki was waiting for me to try it first. I did and wasn't at all disappointed. He could certainly cook.

"Loki, this is amazing," I said. He wasn't surprised. He laughed lightly and we just ate in silence for a bit. I had a strange feeling that Loki didn't feel like talking anymore about his past, so I figured I would just leave that conversation where we'd left it. When we were both finished, Loki stood up and went to the counter for the wine. He was about to pour me some more when I put my hand over the glass to close it.

"No," I said. I didn't want to get all sleepy the way I often did after more than one glass of wine. Loki poured himself half a glass more, and I just watched him drink it. Loki's expression had gone somber again. I couldn't sit there and watch him look like that for very long.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Hmm?" He seemed to have momentarily spaced out.

"Nothing…I'm just glad you're still here."

"You thought I would leave you?" I asked, that painful pang in my chest again.

"I didn't know what to think, Jasmine. The fear in your eyes when you saw my Jotunn form…" he blinked and tore his gaze away from me for a moment.

"You are the most important thing that has happened to me in a very long time. I need you, darling," he said, placing his chilly hand atop mine where it rested on the table. I wanted to cry, but out of happiness. No one had treated me this well in ages. I smiled and moved my hand to lace the fingers in Loki's.

"I promise, you don't _ever _have to fear me," he said.

That night I was getting dressed after my shower when I realized that Loki was still in the loft with his books. He seemed to be doing research sometimes. I wasn't sure. I never bothered him. It had become difficult for me to fall asleep without him reading to me first. I needed to hear his crystal clear voice. It was almost hypnotic at times. I laid in his bed for a while before giving up. I turned the lamp on and got out of bed. I walked out into the apartment and started up the stairs to the loft. Loki was already looking over in my direction when I made it to the top of the stairs.

"What are you doing up, lovely?" he asked me. I sighed.

"It's late. Are you coming to bed?" Loki glanced down at his books and started to tuck some papers away. His hair had curled again, due to the sudden heat wave we were having. It wasn't summer just yet, but some days were ridiculous. All the windows were open in Loki's apartment because the complex's AC was broken and we would have to wait a few days for a repair man to come check it out. Loki stood up.

"Just give me a moment. I need to put some things away, shower," he said, sighing. Loki wasn't complaining about the heat, but I knew that it bothered him, too. I started back down the stairs and went to Loki's room. I sat in bed, watching him pass by the door momentarily on his way to the bathroom. I sighed and turned the light off again, but I couldn't get to sleep. I had taken the covers off the bed and put them on the dresser. It was too hot for comfort, yet I wanted Loki beside me so I could at the very least feel secure. About fifteen minutes passed before I heard him coming. He paused in the doorway a moment before entering the room and quietly moving through the drawer. I sat up to let him know that I was still awake.

"Loki?"

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to wake you."

"…You didn't. It's too hot to sleep," I said. Loki disappeared from the room and I knew he was going to the closet in the hallway. I could see the outline of a fan when he made his way back. He flicked the light on to plug it in, directing it at me where I sat on his bed. He was in a pair of white boxers and his hair was still wet from the shower. He reminded me of snow, and I thought that if I touched him, I might feel relief from the heat. Loki turned the fan on. The air hit me.

"Is that better?" he asked, sauntering back to the light switch, his hand resting on it. I fell back with exasperation.

"Not really," I admitted. Loki turned off the light and I thought I heard him giggle. I felt the bed shift when he sat there. Loki laid down next to me, and I could see him perfectly in the dark, as the shade was open to allow the moonlight to pass through. His eyes weren't closed; he was looking at me. Loki smiled.

"Jasmine, go to sleep," he said, "you won't notice the heat in your dreams."

An idea popped into my head. I slowly reached for Loki's arm. He watched me take it and place his hand on my hip. I was naked except for a tank top and a pair of underwear, so I could feel his skin against my heated thigh. Loki gasped slightly.

"You're burning up," he said, suddenly pressing his cool fingers against my skin more firmly. I sighed with relief and Loki started to sit up. He could make himself colder, and I knew this. He finally understood what I needed. Loki inched closer to me and pulled both his hands down my legs. They were cool and calming and I turned so that I was on my back, my eyes closed. I felt Loki moving backwards on the bed, so that he was at my feet. I waited and he pressed his cold lips to my shin. I gasped, but relaxed, enjoying the feeling.

"Is that alright?" Loki asked me before continuing. I opened my eyes and lifted my head to look down at him. He was looking up at me. I nodded.

"Please, cool me down," I said. I felt Loki's hands run up the length of my legs. He made them colder and then I felt him peel back my tank top and rest his chin on my stomach. I looked down at Loki to find his shoulders leaning forward in a feline-esque manner, as if he were a big cat waiting to pounce. His green eyes absolutely glowed in the darkness, turning red, and when he blew a cold wind up my body, my mouth hung open and I gasped. There were literally snowflakes hitting me gently in the face. I reached down and gripped Loki's shoulders, massaging the lean muscles there. After a few seconds of this same angle, he turned his head and started to blow up my right arm, followed by the left. I wasn't hot anymore; in fact, I began to shiver. Loki stopped and pushed his hands under my back. They were still cold and I arched my back and gasped.

"I'm sorry," he said desperately, believing he'd done something wrong.

"Are you okay, Jasmine?"

I laughed and shivered, causing Loki to relax. I sat up so that I was facing him. His eyes glowed in the dark still, and slowly stopped. He didn't have to turn completely to his Jotunn form to do what he'd just done. I stroked his pale face in the darkness, and then my hands travelled down his chest. Loki closed his eyes and I soon found his lips on my forehead. I wrapped my arms around him, finding myself in his lap. He just held me and repeatedly ran his fingers down my back. That is how I fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A new day peeked in at me. I felt much cooler. Loki had laid me on my back after I fell asleep. I sat up straight; he wasn't there. The windows were still open, but it was a cool morning breeze coming in. I got up. I didn't smell breakfast cooking, and wondered if I was alone in Loki's apartment. But as I stepped out into the hall, a faint _clipping _noise was coming from the bathroom. I slowly stepped towards it and the noise came to a halt as I did so. I pulled the door open and Loki slowly turned to face me from where he was standing in front of the mirror. His hair was wet and straight, a comb having been pulled through it, and a tuft of his inky black hair was sitting on the floor by his feet. I gasped and Loki's mouth opened as if to say something, but he paused in mid-cut, another lock of hair between his fingers.

"Leonard, don't," I said, my voice a lot more whiney than I meant for it to be. He was still naked except for the towel around his waist. I leant to the floor and picked up his hair. He laughed.

"It's about time I had a cut, don't you think?" he asked me. I sighed and frowned to find him slowly putting the scissors down on the sink. He rested a pale hand there and I felt his gaze travel down my body. My face heated momentarily. I took one look in the mirror and started to fix my hair up. I felt two cool hands grab my wrists, stopping me.

"Jasmine, stop it," Loki said lowly, shaking his head, "you are beautiful at all times. In fact, I love you the most like this," he said, his voice picking up and a smile forming slowly on his face. I was blushing madly at that point.

"Your hair a little disheveled, your eyes slowly coming to life after you've dreamt…"

I had lost myself in Loki's green gaze, as always. His hands travelled skillfully down my back and rested at its lowest point. I felt something come loose and shortly recognized the towel that had fallen from around Loki's waist and landed on the bathroom floor between us. His expression never changed during the course of this minor accident, nor in its aftermath. He merely grinned down at me, reading my expression before the eyes rested on my mouth. Loki squeezed me against himself gently.

"Did I scare you last night?" he asked quietly, almost as if he were afraid to inquire. There was a fleeting worry in his voice. I shook my head after a handful of seconds; his fingers massaging deeply into my spine was madly distracting.

"I would never want to scare you," he said. The intense stare travelled back to my eyes.

"I know," I said, finding my voice again. Loki smiled. He pulled me so that my head rested against his pale, naked chest. I couldn't ignore every other naked part as I let my hands rest on his back. Loki groaned lowly, burying his face in the top of my head. He passed his hands down my back repeatedly, until heat formed from the friction of his hands against my shirt. He pulled me back and kissed me softly on my closed mouth.

"Let me put breakfast on. I think I might have found the perfect job for you. We can talk about it once you get ready."

I nodded and Loki casually picked up his towel and threw it over his shoulder, not bothering to cover up when he walked out of the bathroom, leaving me out of breath and, well, aroused. I brushed my teeth, staring at the lock of Loki's hair that I'd put on the sink. I knew he hated messes, so once I rinsed my mouth, I grabbed a tissue and threw it in the trash. In the shower, I couldn't help touching myself. Loki had left me all kinds of bothered. He rarely made the first move with things like that, and I knew it was because he never wanted me to feel obligated to do things just because we were in a relationship. I liked that about him. He was the first boyfriend I ever had who didn't pressure me about sex all the time. At the same time, he was extremely loving; it was in the way he always did things for me. Sometimes I had to put him in his place about it, because I didn't want to become lazy and dependent. My mother had always taught me to do things for myself. But living with Leonard was different. He did all the cleaning and cooking, the things generally attributed to the common housewife. He didn't believe in gender roles. I could completely be a _person_ around him, and I loved being able to do that…I was getting closer, kneeling on the floor of the shower as the water pelted my skull. I never found it as much fun to take care of myself manually. It was much more tiring than lying beneath a man. I knew that I should just tell Loki what I wanted, but part of me was still shy after our first genuine sexual interaction. Somehow I started to think that he knew exactly what I was doing, because there was a knock at the door and I heard it open slightly.

"Jasmine? Your potatoes will be cold…are you alright?" Loki asked. I gasped slightly, pulling my tired hand from between my dripping legs and standing up in the shower. I glanced towards the door through the shower curtain, but I didn't see Loki there; all I could see was the door slightly ajar.

"No—I mean—yes. I'll be out in a minute," I said.

"Alright, love. No rush," he said. I heard the door close. I turned off the water and hastily dried myself. I went and got dressed and when I met Loki in the kitchen, he was thumbing through the paper in a boring manner, a full plate of food in front of him. I felt badly about making him wait. He never liked to start eating without me.

"I'm sorry," I said, sitting down hastily. Loki looked up at me and grinned. He had pulled his hair in to a ponytail, the way I remembered it being when I realized how beautiful he was.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded, looking down at my plate, hoping Loki wouldn't notice my reddened cheeks. He laughed and it was a familiar mischievous laugh that often made me feel nervous. I stared up at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, "It's just that, you're not telling me something." His head leant forward and down slightly so that he was looking at me from under curious eyebrows. His voice had lowered an interval. He had an uncanny way of knowing when I wasn't being honest. I paused a few awkward seconds. I was unsure of the sincerity of Loki's expression, but then he shook his head slowly.

"Never mind," he said, stirring his tea. I took a bite of my home fries, and had never tasted such flavorful potatoes in all my life. Loki grinned before starting in on his own plate.

"As for that job," Loki began after a few minutes, "My friend and former colleague, Monsieur Géroux, has been looking for a cellist for his symphony. They're down one for an upcoming show in Boston this fall, and I thought you might be interested. What do you think, lovely?" My heart constantly skipped beats when Loki addressed me as such.

"I don't know. I…wait, did you say in Boston?" I asked.

"Yes," Loki responded before picking up his cup and plate, bringing them to the sink. He placed them in there and turned around to face me, "Would that be a problem? I assure you I can make any accommodations to suit you, anywhere your job takes you," he said. I stood and took my empty plate towards the sink. Loki took it from me and placed it in the sink beside his mug.

"It is what you want, isn't it?" he asked gently, running a hand down my arm and resting it on my hip. I grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, it is. I just…how are we going to—?"

"No, you're not allowed to worry about any of that," Loki said, holding my head in his hands. He leaned down towards my face.

"I'm going to take care of you, no matter where your career takes you. We'll go to the ends of the earth if we have to, if it takes you there. Do you understand me?" Loki asked, his brows rising slowly. I nodded. He kissed me, and this kiss lasted longer than the one in the bathroom, but I was still left breathless with my eyes closed when Loki pulled away. I laughed gently. His hands travelled to my waist and massaged my hips. I didn't want to open my eyes, didn't want Loki to stop.

"Is it still too hot for you?" he asked me, his voice very close to my face. I shook my head for no. Loki's lips made contact with my forehead and I finally looked.

"I like this place, though, Loki," I whispered.

He glanced around the room momentarily.

"Just because we might leave it doesn't have to mean it won't still be here…I was thinking I might rent it out when we go down to Boston. This concert is supposed to last four months. It won't make sense to try and commute every day. I've already started looking for places in Boston," he said.

"…What about _your _job?" I asked. Loki laughed.

"Oh, my job. It appears I'm not really fulfilling myself there. Don't get me wrong, I love to teach, but I have _always_ felt a greater calling. All I know is that it doesn't involve being a private music instructor forever," he said. Loki's hands at my waist were growing hotter. I looked down at them and his grip loosened. I placed my hands atop his and kept them planted there. Loki was looking down my body. I reached around slowly to the back of his head, standing on my tip toes so that I could be at eye level with Loki. He simply watched me as I pulled the band out of his hair and watched it cascade down his shoulders. It had in fact gotten very long, just about meeting his breast. Goddamn, he was so beautiful. I couldn't take it much longer, so I pressed my lips firmly to Loki's. He moaned quietly into my mouth, the taste of peppermint tea on his tongue. I felt his swift movements as he transitioned me to the counter top and I spread my legs, wrapping them around Loki's waist. The kiss was quickly becoming very passionate. I was still wet from the shower. I hadn't calmed down at all, to be honest. I reached for Loki's belt and fumbled with it, and then I felt his hands stopping me. He pulled back with a sly expression and I died in arousal.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Loki asked me, and it seemed as if he were joking a little bit, like he was trying to play with me. I nodded and started to try and move my hands again. Loki groaned and his eyes, laced with lust, closed. His hands were tight on mine then, not allowing me to continue.

"I'm sorry, love. I have to be on my way. There's another staff meeting in a bit that I have to show up for," he said, not opening his eyes. I caressed Loki's beautiful hair and cupped his cheekbones. He sighed and I caught the whole thing in my face. It only made me more desperate to hear him sigh like that.

"But the semester is over. What could the staff possibly be talking about now?" I asked, letting my hands roam down Loki's body again. I tried to unbuckle his belt, but he stopped me a second time, his green eyes leering out at me when I got caught.

"You're going to make me…" he breathed, trailing off, staring at my chest where my bra had slipped out of my shirt a ways.

"I can't right now. I've got to go. I just wanted to share breakfast with you, tell you the news," Loki said, placing my hands palm down on the counter top. I let my head fall back against the cupboard. I felt Loki's hands on my behind as he pulled me down off the counter. I was shorter than Loki once more and he gazed down at me.

"We'll pick this up later, Jasmine. I promise," he said, kissing me sweetly on the head before pushing his hands through his thick hair. He picked up the elastic from the counter where I'd dropped it and fixed his hair back into its neat tail. I watched him, totally enamored, oozing with frustration as he grinned at me. When he was finished, Loki leaned down to my height so that I didn't have to look up to meet his eyes.

"I love you, Jasmine Lucille," he said, grinning. I felt his kiss on my lips and didn't bother to open my eyes until I heard the front door close. I checked the time. Normally I would be at work at the café by now, but I had taken a week off to celebrate graduating with Leonard (I guess at that point I was _still_ battling between what name to really call my boyfriend). However, every time I turned around he seemed to be having to run off somewhere else. I wondered if perhaps I was becoming needy. Maybe he spoiled me too much. I walked further into the apartment and found that Leonard had moved some of my flowers to a small table in front of the window. The apartment had smelled beautiful ever since he'd brought them in. I eyed the jasmine flowers sitting atop the piano. I wished I could play piano, but Loki was better at it than me. I found myself constantly mesmerized by his talent when he'd sit there, rod straight posture, eyes closed all the while, ghost fingers gallivanting down the keys. I made a mental note to ask him to play me something later on.

He would have done _anything_ I asked, as I slowly came to realize. I wondered how long he would be away as I found myself at the window, staring down into the street. I looked and in the sun's rays was caught Loki in all his glory. He didn't walk, he breezed. Every tiny movement he made was full of grace. I smiled to myself as he paused to look both ways before crossing the street. A yellow car sped obnoxiously by, beating the light by half a second. I felt a pang of fear in my heart; Loki could easily have been taken away from me as quickly as that crazy car had passed. I could see the top of Loki's head, his black hair shining. I wanted to yell out of the window at him to be very careful, anxiety gripping me.

The street was clear when he finally descended the curb. I waited until I saw him meet the other side before I looked down at the jasmine flower my hand had been nervously clutching. I grinned at it. When I looked again out the window once more, Loki was nowhere to be found.


	3. Chapter 3

I couldn't stand staying there all day by myself. I needed to do something. I decided to go to the book store. I had been wanting to read Tolstoy for a while. I decided I would treat myself to some new books as a little graduation gift from me to me. I grabbed my cell phone and the spare key Loki had given to me, my purse, and left. I took the train and found myself at a Barnes and Noble. I walked inside and sure enough found what I was looking for. I usually stood and read a few pages, thumbed through things before straight up buying books, so I stood in the section where I was, reading The Kingdom of God is Within You quietly. After a few minutes, I got the strangest feeling that somebody was looking at me. I glanced to my right down the aisle and saw that nobody was there. And then I glanced to my left to find that somebody _was _in fact watching me.

When this person became aware that I noticed them, I immediately recognized who it was. My stomach lurched violently and a lump formed in my throat. My ex, Jared, stood there in plain sight. He looked exactly the same, I thought. I didn't stand there another minute. I started towards the register, relieved that other people were walking about. There was no way Jared could have threatened me there, not in public. I started wondering with discomfort whether seeing him had been a total coincidence, or whether he was following me. I figured the latter was unlikely, as I hadn't seen him in months. I paid for my book as quickly as I could. I noticed my hands to be trembling when I started for the door, and it really put me off. But just before I could make it to the exit, he was standing at a display table just ahead of me, in front of the doors. There was no way I could have gone by unnoticed. He looked up from the book he was apparently reading.

I paused but the way that he looked at me was not at all menacing. His eyes were clear and pristine, just as I had remembered them. He didn't smile, but he sure did recognize me. His face was still so beautiful to me, but meant nightmares that I badly wished to forget. Jared's lips parted so slightly, but he didn't say anything. I wasn't going to say anything, either. After I had paused for what felt like an eternity, I rushed around the table and out of the door. I didn't stop moving until I made it back to Leonard's building. I hurried up the steps and hoped somebody would be waiting inside to let me in. I knocked frantically on the glass door as I saw somebody just stepping onto the lift. The same elder lady with short gray hair I'd seen the first time I'd come here looked out at me vacantly from inside the elevator.

I felt scared, but I knew there was no way Jared had followed me; I'd been looking around the entire journey home. _What if he knows where I was living? _I thought. It had been a while since I'd moved out of my other apartment. I knew I was just driving myself mad thinking that way. Either way, it didn't stop me from screaming when I felt a pair of hands grab my hips.

"All-Father Odin—it's just me, Jasmine," Loki said with shock. I slowly turned around and found him looking down at me with wide green eyes. He laughed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that," he said. He stopped laughing when he registered how nervous I was. Loki frowned.

"Oh my," he said, "I really am sorry…Jasmine? What's wrong?" Loki asked me. I was still shaking.

"Jasmine?"

I let my eyes scan the street behind Loki. He was very attentive, looking behind himself from left to right to see what I was so afraid of.

"What?" he asked.

"Let's just get inside," I said, gripping the sleeve of his shirt. He knew that I was not okay. He didn't waste any more time opening the door. He picked up the bag I had dropped when he scared me, pulling out the book. I knew from the way that he nodded that he'd probably read it already, but he didn't say anything about it before putting it back in the bag and wrapping an arm securely around my shoulders.

"Everything's okay. You're okay," Loki said, rubbing my shoulder comfortingly. He kept his eyes on me until we got upstairs. He opened the door and let me in first. I stepped out of my shoes and hurried over to the couch. I sat there and stared out the window, grabbing a cushion and wrapping my arms around it. I heard Loki approaching slowly, saw him out of the corner of my eye. He sat on the couch behind me. He didn't touch me, though, sensing how shaken up I had been.

"I really am sorry," he said honestly.

"You didn't do anything," I said after a moment of silence. Loki sighed and it sounded very relieved. I saw his pale hand come around to my wrists, slowly followed by the other one, until I was leaning back into Loki's embrace.

"I saw Jared," I finally said. I felt Loki sit up straight behind me.

"I went to go get this book, and I was reading in the store. He was watching me. I don't know if he's been following me. I don't know if it was a coincidence. I don't…he was watching me," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. Finally I felt Loki's pulling motion and found myself facing him. He put both hands firmly on my shoulders.

"Did he follow you? Did he try to talk to you at all? Did he go anywhere near—"

"No," I said, relieved, cutting Loki off midsentence.

"He just…looked. I don't know what to do. It wasn't like…I don't think he was going to do anything, but…"

I felt my face in Loki's hands.

"You're safe here. I promise. You should've told me you wanted to go out; I would have gone with you later."

"It's okay," I said, shaking my head.

"It's not okay. If he's harassing you, it's not okay."

Loki's tone was grave. At times when he spoke about my ex, he'd get so dark and disgusted, angry.

"He doesn't even deserve to _speak_ to you. I will make sure he doesn't come near you again," Loki said. I nodded, even though I believed this was something not entirely within his control.

"Come here," he said. I pressed my face into Loki's neck. It was warm and soft. I had made my way into his lap and we just sat there on the couch for a while. I started to kiss Loki's neck, and he laughed. I liked the way that it sounded, and the way it vibrated through my body where it was pressed against his. I sat up a bit so I could see his face.

"How was your meeting?" I asked. Loki wrapped his arms around my back.

"Boring," he said in a matching manner. I laughed.

"I still love my flowers," I said, lying my head back down on his chest and staring towards the window at the flowers on the little table.

"Hmm, you deserve the world, Jasmine," he said, his fingers strolling through my hair, massaging the back of my neck.

"I want to give you the world," he said, his voice sinfully delicious against my ears. I sat up again.

"I don't need the world, Loki. I just need you," I said. I looked him over. Sometimes it was like looking at an oil painting; he was simply a work of art. He smiled at this. I pushed my hands under his head and reached for his pony tail.

"Oh, yes," he said, and the blood surged like fire through my entire body. He had promised me earlier that we would finish what had started in the kitchen that morning. Loki lifted his head a ways so that I could pull the elastic out of his hair. I then splayed his hair out beneath him. It was like a black wave against the couch. Each cafuné never failed to elicit a lecherous gaze from Loki's eyes, and he turned his cheek into my palm, closing the jades in his skull and sighing. He moaned through his closed lips and turned so that my legs fell further open and I straddled his waist. Loki looked up at me and turned his head back to face me. He let his hands rest on my hips.

"My flower," he said, and shifted his waist upwards against me; I already felt him hardening. And then Loki sat up very quickly, getting on his knees in front of me on the floor, never losing my legs from either side of his waist. He gazed up at me and I felt that I held him entirely at my command. I played with his hair, made it frame his face perfectly. He grinned and pulled me towards him over the edge of the couch. I was then sitting on his legs, and he'd pinned me against the couch, claiming my mouth in a matter of seconds. I forgot how to breathe, how to think. All I was doing was feeling. I repeatedly pushed my hands through his downy hair, pulling it back at one point so that he was forced to lift his chin skywards. Loki moaned with surprise when I made this forceful motion, but he grinned at me without teeth. I sat up to my full height, as best I could, yet still not rising above his height. Instead, I managed to make an attempt that appeared to be a climb up Loki's body. I slipped down when I gave up and decided I wasn't going to rise just to his height. He laughed as if he thought my attempts were cute, and my face flushed. I grabbed his shoulders and started to rub myself against him. I was still wet from earlier, and though I was in jeans, I felt him continuing to harden beneath my frottage. Loki opened his mouth and moaned, closing his eyes for a moment as I ground myself against him. I had a firm grip on his shoulders, a perfect view of his face. He leant forward until his forehead touched the top of my head, my back firmly pressed against the couch.

"Jasmine, are you sure about this? You seemed a bit uncomfortable the last time," Loki asked before kissing the top of my head. All I was is fire. I kept grinding up against Loki. And then I reached for my fly and unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans in a flash. I nodded hastily. Loki grinned and backed up a little bit so that there was enough room for him to start undressing. I paused in grabbing the hem of my shirt to watch Loki. His nimble fingers unbuttoned his shirt and threw it aside, all the while he watched me, grinning intently. He glanced down at his fly for a second to start undoing it, his perfect inky tresses gliding forth over his shoulders. I just wanted him all over me. I pulled my shirt off so fast that I heard the sleeve tear a little bit. By the time I got my shirt over my head and could see again, Loki had removed his jeans and underwear. He was kneeling before me stark naked. I liked this so much more than I ever thought I could have. There was an august air in the way he was still sitting up straight, like a statue. I was surprised to find that my hand was trembling as I reached out to touch his chest. My eyes were focusing on the rest of him, which was already more than ready to conquer me. I knew I had to be _extremely_ ready, and I was glad I had been all day long. I knew that the way I touched myself in the shower would pale in comparison to Loki. I felt my smile, and Loki's laugh met my ears. He sat back on his feet and waited for me to come to him. I started to inch towards Loki on the floor. He moved so that he was leaning forth, balling his hands into fists, the pale knuckles braced against the hardwood. Loki smiled and his teeth gleamed. My heart beat at paces which made me think I might have died. Loki waited for me to touch him. I cupped his cheek. He looked precisely into my eyes.

"If it's too much for you, I want you to tell me," he said. I nodded absently, and then I gasped when I felt my entire body be lifted momentarily off the floor. My back was against the couch again as Loki practically swung me, somehow, until I was sitting atop his legs again, my panties halfway down my thighs. Somewhere between motions, he'd managed to start taking them off. My lips were Loki's once more and I barely noticed him unhooking my bra until his lips parted from mine as he pulled it down my arms. Loki set it aside slowly, never removing his gaze from mine. My loins began to ache with desire. Loki looked at me as if he were about to devour my soul. He let my butt slide down his legs until it was resting just about on his knees.

"Do you like these underwear?" he asked me.

"W-what?" I asked. Loki smiled.

"Do you like these underwear, love?" he asked me again. Thrown off a bit, I tilted my head to the side. I shook my head, and shortly I heard them tear before Loki dropped them on the floor in one fell swoop. There was a primal expression on his face, the jaw taut and bared when Loki grabbed my hips, bringing me closer to the appendage I'd been aching for. He was inhaling deeply as he slowly began to slip inside of me. I threw my head back against the couch and squeezed the hell out of Loki's shoulders, arching my back up, my belly leaning in towards his perfect abdomen where they began to make contact. Loki paused, and I looked at him as if to ask why the hell he'd stopped. I curled my waist forward, causing him to sink in deeper. Thank the stars I was dripping wet already; it wasn't difficult to find him comfortably inside of me after only a few seconds. Loki sighed in a relieved manner, and I let my head drop again back on the couch.

"Are you okay?" Loki asked. I looked again to see how tightly I was gripping his shoulders. I eased up my grasp and began to see little marks on him from my nails, which shortly turned crimson with fresh blood. I gasped.

"I'm so sorry," I said, sitting up a little bit.

"For what?" Loki asked, "You couldn't hurt me if you tried," he said, seeming entirely unaffected by the minor injury; he hadn't even groaned in pain. I was momentarily distracted by the way he laughed as I gently wiped at the blood on the little cuts. They literally disappeared, healing before my eyes. Loki moaned and leaned in until his face was on top of my head again. He pulled me a short way away from the couch, until I was completely secure in his arms. They always completely wrapped around me. I loved that about Loki's arms. He kissed the top of my head. When I realized how still he was, I started to gently rock my waist against him. Loki moaned, sitting there completely still. He was making me do all the work. I thought he was just trying to tease me.

"Loki," I begged, gripping his shoulder blades. He let my head fall into both his palms and gazed down at me. The look on his face was just about sorrowful. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

"I mean not to hurt you," he said, "I know it was too much for you the last time."

I felt my cheeks flare up like a bonfire.

"I'm fine. I promise," I reassured him. Loki kissed me for a long moment, and while doing so, he started to sway his hips gently. I was the only thing I could hear then, my moans resonating off the walls of Loki's apartment. The sounds I was making encouraged him and I didn't have to move much more before he started to buck his hips more passionately. I let myself lose control, dropping my head back and gripping Loki's shoulders. Though we'd been in the tub before, my own wetness was much more comfortably lubricating and all I felt was good. Loki's hands, which were usually cool, grew heated against my back. I was about to climax when he suddenly slowed down. I pulled myself up so that I was looking at his face again. I knew I was looking at Loki as if to ask why the hell he'd stopped again.

"I want to kiss you," he said, slowing his thrusts and stopping entirely. I met his lips and I swear there was something serpentine about the way his tongue darted in and out of my mouth, mingling with mine to massage it mercilessly. I swear the kiss alone could have gotten me off. I moaned desperately into Loki's mouth, beginning to propel myself against him. I felt the walls inside of me clenching madly, aching for the orgasm that he had cut short. Loki moaned back, and I knew he felt it, too. I pulled my head back to break the kiss, and his hair tickled my face. He gave me a lascivious grin before starting up his hips again, but he moved slowly to draw me out longer. I sighed in a nearly exasperating way. I wanted to last too, but I wanted my orgasm more. Loki knew exactly what I wanted and he intended to give it to me thoroughly. He kept edging me, waiting until I was just about there before slowing down and stopping to tease my tongue some more. By the third time he applied this technique, I started crying out of complete euphoria. The tear that fell quietly down my face didn't cause Loki to stop. He knew how desperate I was as I thrust against him with quivering hips. He leant down and kissed my cheek, his lips picking up the tear, where he licked them to taste my gratitude. I felt more tears coming down my cheeks. I was moaning and gasping, panting, staring up into Loki's eyes. He kept kissing the tears away. This lovemaking was the most emotional experience I'd had in a long time. If I didn't know it before that I was in love with Loki, I knew it at that moment when he kept thrusting until I orgasmed. I did in fact scream, which only seemed to scare Loki just a little bit; there was surprise on his face when I looked up at him, a trembling, dripping, moaning, heated mess in his long arms. Loki exhaled, closing his eyes and laughing so slightly I almost didn't hear him.

"Darling, are you alright?" he asked me honestly once he looked at me again. I was still shaking, my orgasm, though over, ghosting through me. Loki sighed again, catching what little he had to catch of his breath. He did not seem at all exhausted. He leant me back against the couch and started to wipe his thumbs under my eyes. I couldn't even speak. It wasn't like I hadn't had plenty of orgasms before, but there was something insanely different about it with Loki. He began to pull out, though I knew he hadn't spent himself. He was stroking my ribs and torso, watching me intently. I had failed to answer. There was no use for words at that point. But I grabbed his lower back to stop him. I smiled and sat up again, my breath just coming back to me. I shoved myself against him and reveled in his subsequent moans. Though I was done, I wanted to bring Loki to orgasm. His grip on me tightened a bit and the sensual shade in his eyes returned as he bit his lip in concentration. I felt him begin to shake ever so slightly beneath me, until finally he gripped my hands, pinning them against the couch, his fingers weaving into mine. He squeezed and there was a tangible, _cold_ irruption inside of me. Loki groaned with primal desperation and lost himself in bliss.

He inhaled deeply and sighed out deeply. The way his stomach expanded and touched mine with his every inhale was calming. He softened and pulled out, staring down at me where my head still laid on the couch. Loki began to massage my fingers, pressing his thumbs firmly into my palms. He grinned down at me and I smiled. Something told me he hadn't expected me to take over like that. He'd made me feel good, and I just wanted to return the favour. After a moment of silence I noticed my legs were beginning to fall asleep. I started to sit up until I felt my bottom on the couch. Loki stayed kneeling on the floor there, slouching slightly when I made it up out of his arms. In truth, it was the most amazing sex I'd ever had. My entire body was still reeling, paresthesia in my feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, still seemingly convinced that he was too much for me to handle. I smiled and leaned forward to kiss his forehead, which caused him to perk up. I still couldn't find the words. I cupped Loki's face in my hands. The cheeks were sanguine. We were both sated, or so I thought until my stomach growled. Loki's attention was drawn to it immediately. He stood up slowly.

"Let me make us a late lunch," he said. We stood and he planted a kiss on my forehead. I didn't want to let go of him, and he laughed when I wrapped my arms around his naked waist from behind, dogging his heels all the way to the kitchen. Loki didn't stop me. I leant against the counter and crossed my arms, my breasts having swelled from arousal. He washed his hands at the sink and walked towards the refrigerator. He was just so sexy that I wanted to watch him. No woman ever could have complained about a handsome, naked god making earth-shattering love to her followed by a home-cooked meal. Loki smiled at me while he found the ingredients for pesto and began chopping basil and garlic. I wanted to help so I went into the cabinet for the pasta and produced a pot from the cupboard to start the water.

"I want to go to Boston," I said as Loki put the final bit of pine nuts into the mix. He turned around and gave me his full attention.

"As long as it's what you want, flower," he said. With Loki, it was always about what I wanted…


	4. Chapter 4

I was trying to figure out how to tell Natalie I would be quitting soon and moving to Boston for a while. I loved working at the café, but I knew that it wasn't something to do as a career my entire life, although I was certain that Loki would have continued to support me in every possible way, had I chosen to continue working as a barista. He had started to go out in the evenings, to continue teaching private lessons. I knew there were summer sessions going on, but it made me slightly unhappy to come home at the end of the day and find that Loki wasn't there. He'd been staying out later and later. Part of me wanted to know what else he'd been doing aside from teaching, as I was sure no one went for violin lessons at one in the morning. I hadn't told him this for the first two weeks after the summer sessions started; I didn't want Loki to think I didn't trust him. Some mornings I would leave him there still asleep to get to work on time. I knew he didn't mind me waking him up to say goodbye, but he seemed tired from working in the evening and I wanted him to sleep. By the time I'd get on break at work, he'd stop by to check on me, bring me lunch as I constantly forgot it.

Loki was the perfect boyfriend, and I was feeling happier than I had in a very long time being with him. One Friday evening around five, Loki dropped by the café to bring me some dinner. I knew that it was likely he wouldn't be home when I got there, so I made the most of the way things were moving slowly for the moment. We sat at the same table Loki had sat at the first time he visited the café. He was quieter than usual and looked a little bit put off about something, but he smiled whenever I met his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, picking up his hand off the table. Loki's eyes widened at my question.

"Absolutely nothing, love," he said reassuringly, but the low intensity of his smile told me otherwise. Loki gripped my hand as I studied his face, not believing him. He sighed.

"It's just work. I…it's nothing, really—don't worry about it," he said, smiling and kissing the back of my hand lingeringly. He closed his eyes as he did this.

"I'm just thinking of quitting soon. I haven't been feeling very fulfilled lately…I didn't want to worry you. It's nothing," he breathed, finally admitting this. Loki checked the time on his watch and sighed.

"I've got to get going in about ten minutes," he said, checking the watch on his wrist. He sighed, "All I want to do is take you home and go to bed," he said loud enough only for me to hear. I blushed when he grinned, finishing up my Biryani. Natalie came out of the back to talk to me. Loki looked over at her when she stood in front of our table.

"I'm sorry to cut your break short, but I need you at the register. Adrienne's got to run home. Family emergency."

I sighed and started to get up. Loki followed suit.

"Oh, Nat, this-this is my boyfriend, Lo—"

I glanced at Loki whose eyes travelled to me for a quick second.

"Leonard," I said, quickly correcting myself. I knew I was going to have to ask him later what he wanted me to refer to him as in public. We hadn't talked nearly as much about his past as I wanted to, but I knew he went by Leonard as a professor, and I didn't want to spread inconsistencies about his identity. Loki laughed quietly and extended his pale hand to Natalie. She looked completely mesmerized as she gazed up at Loki's face and shook it; his charming voice poured from between his lips, the silk he had for hair tumbling over his shoulders as he bent slightly to her height.

"I'm Leonard Larsson," he said, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Wow," Natalie said absently. At this Loki laughed heartily, throwing his head back slightly. Natalie turned back to me for the quickest second with a blush on her face.

"I like this one, Jasmine," Loki said, nodding. It occurred to me that it was the first time he was meeting one of my female friends.

"You're tall," said Natalie, turning back to me again and cocking a brow. Loki contained himself, but smiled slyly.

"Six-five," he said nonchalantly.

"I think this one's a keeper, Jas," she said. It was my turn to laugh.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, too. I'm Natalie. Now you know who will be the one to hunt you down and destroy you if you _ever _break this girl's heart," Natalie half joked. Loki laughed again, cocking a brow in a way that aroused me. Something told me that he didn't like to be threatened, whether in joking contexts or not, but his affect towards Natalie was appropriate at all times. Natalie went back to the storage room. I was about to head for the counter when Loki grabbed my hips.

"Where in Midgard do you think you're going without giving me my kiss?" he asked. My face flared. Loki pulled me up towards him, not caring that there were still a few customers around to witness this less than decent for public display of affection. I felt his tongue in my mouth for a few seconds. A quiet moan escaped me, but I knew that it was only loud enough for Loki to hear. When he cut the kiss short, I was left frustrated. I still had my eyes closed, and Loki's arms still wreathed my waist. I didn't want to go back to work. Loki pressed his forehead to mine and I felt his exhale.

"I love you more than anything. Do you know that?" he asked me quietly. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. I was at a loss for words. I vaguely noticed the bell above the door tolling to signal more customers. I nodded and Loki kissed me once more.

"I'm going to finish this tea and then I've got to run," he explained. I groaned quietly, not wanting to let go of him.

"It's only a matter of hours until we're both at home," he said quietly to reassure me. I let my head fall against Loki's chest. I felt him kiss the top of it.

"Call me a bit before you close up shop and I'll pick you up," he said. I nodded. I started away from Loki, feeling his hand slip down my arm, until it clasped my own hand a moment, letting it go slowly as I walked towards the counter. When I got there and turned around, he was staring into his tea looking a bit indecisive about something. I could tell that he was thinking. I wondered what about. There were times when I wished I could read his mind. I had started to feel like there were things he wasn't telling me, things that bothered him. I tried to distract myself and turned to start a fresh brew of coffee. I pulled out the leaves for the loose peppermint tea, one of Loki's favourites, and replenished the jar that was on display. Someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned my head slightly, but not enough to see who it was. I heard the bell on the countertop toll.

"I'll be with you in a minute," I said politely.

"Jasmine," said a familiar baritone voice, and my heart jumped violently. I then realized that my ex was the customer trying to get my attention. Jared's wide, clear eyes stared me down when I turned to see him there. I glanced over where Loki was sitting to find that he had his elbow up on the table, his head resting in his palm so that his eyes were hidden.

"Are fucking following me?" I hissed, keeping my voice low. I didn't want to disturb the other customers. I was only being so bold because Loki was sitting no more than ten feet away. Jared took immediate offense and his brows furrowed. He inhaled and they un-furrowed.

"No, I'm not," he said. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to believe him, but he'd looked as surprised to see me as I was to see him when I'd turned around.

"I didn't know you worked here. What, now I'm not allowed at coffee shops?"

"Leave me alone," I said.

He just stared at me, and then looked up at the menu. He rubbed his clean shaven chin. I could have screamed, or cried, or something. I wasn't even sure how to react. His milky skin was still so beautiful to me, and he looked like any normal guy, but I knew what he was capable of.

"I think you should leave," I said, glancing over at Loki who was now closing the container he'd brought my dinner in, unaware that my abusive ex was standing right in front of me.

"I think I'll have a medium oolong," Jared said, looking directly into my eyes. I lowered my voice, "_Leave_, Jared."

"The restraining order expired. What are you going to do, call the fucking police?" he responded in just as quiet a voice. I felt the tears breach my eyes as I stared at his lips while he spoke.

"Look—I don't care if you don't believe me, but I had _no_ idea you worked here. I'm just a customer. Give me my drink, okay?"

"I'm not going to give you jack shit," I said, shaking my head. Jared sighed impatiently and closed his eyes. When he opened them again to find that I hadn't moved, he just kept standing there, staring at me. I was starting to feel so uncomfortable. I just wanted him to go away, so I thought I might as well give him the stupid tea.

"For here or to go?" I asked hastily. Jared shrugged like he didn't care, and I picked up a portable cup. I put the tea together and he started to pull his wallet out of his pocket. I rung up his order.

"Three-fifty," I said. Jared handed me a twenty. I stared at his hand, reluctant to let him get that close. He stared at me and then cocked a brow when I didn't take the bill.

"Jasmine, _take_ the money," he said. Another five seconds passed before I reached out to grab it, and Jared dropped the money on the counter before I could take it out of his hand. As I was reaching for it, he grabbed my wrist. I gasped. His grip tightened.

"I wish you would stop accusing me of shit," he said quietly. He knew what he goddamned did, and he knew that I knew it.

"It's all your fault I didn't get my degree," he said through gritted teeth. He was letting go just in time as I screamed and threw the cup I was holding at him. Loki stood up faster than Jared had time to turn around. He hurried towards the sound of my discomfort and his eyes locked on my ex. Jared was no longer holding my arm, but Loki needn't have seen what was going on to know he'd been messing with me.

"What's going on here?" he asked quite loudly, grabbing Jared's attention and stepping between him and the counter, in front of me.

"_The fuck _was that for?" Jared asked me, ignoring Loki and staring past him at me. He was shaking his wet arm, having been burnt by the tea I threw on him. I turned away from him. I didn't want to look at his face.

"I think you should get out," Loki said, trying to contain himself. There was a silence and it maddened me.

"Who the fuck does that, Jas?" Jared asked, making it known to Loki that he knew me.

"I want to talk to your manager," he said. I heard feet shuffling and turned around in time to find Jared throwing his fist in Loki's face. Loki barely moved at all, but he slowly turned to face Jared, who raised his fist again, but before he could throw another punch, Loki had grabbed his neck and started squeezing. He and Jared tumbled to the floor and I ran from around the counter to find them brawling on the floor. Jared managed to get another punch in, but then Loki subdued him and was straddling him, his fists retracting almost as fast as they propelled towards Jared's face. Two guys had stood up and made their way towards the fight. Jared squirmed beneath Loki, and before he could receive a fourth hit, he turned his head, causing Loki's fist to make contact with the floor. Loki yelled and was momentarily distracted, long enough for Jared to get a leg free and kick Loki in the chest. One of the men who had been approaching caught Loki and fell back with him, the other started to drag Jared up off the floor. Loki was up in a flash, and had these two perfect strangers not stepped between the two of them, I knew the fight would not have stopped there.

"What the _hell_ is going on out here?" my boss asked, appearing from what seemed like thin air. There was no way she hadn't heard Loki yell like that.

"Both of you get out of my store before I call the police," my boss warned. Loki whipped his head in the direction of my boss. Jared shrugged the other guy off him angrily, saying that he was fine. He gave me a very threatening look as he slowly backed up. Loki looked from Jared to me before my ex stormed out of the café, nearly knocking the door off its hinges.

"You too, Mike Tyson," my boss warned, pointing at Loki. But he hurried towards me and had his hands on my waist, his face riddled with worry. I was so upset that I couldn't hear Loki asking me if I was okay. My boss appeared right next to us and started trying to pry Loki away from me. I snapped out of it at last.

"I-I'm sorry," I said, grabbing Loki's arm and starting towards the door. I just didn't want my boss to call the police. I needed to get Loki outside. Once we were standing outside of the café and out of view, I started to pace back and forth. Loki wouldn't stop asking me what had happened, did I know that vile excuse for a man? What had he done to make me scream? I wasn't answering. I was still so shaken up over the fact that Jared had gotten so close to me. Loki finally gripped my elbow.

"It was my ex," I said, shaking my head, still not wanting to believe it. Loki looked around the street angrily, and I knew he was looking for Jared.

"I—I don't know how he knew I'd be here."

"Jasmine," Loki said, his eyes having widened. I looked to see that his beautiful lip was bleeding and a bruise was forming around his left eye. I reached up, tears flowing out of my eyes, and wiped the blood from Loki's lip. He smiled in an attempt to make me feel better.

"I'm alright. I promise," he said soothingly. He pulled me into a tight embrace.

"What did he do to you, Jasmine?" Loki asked me desperately. He pulled me away a little bit to look at my face, and kept asking. I couldn't even speak; I just cried.

"Come on, let's go home," he said, leading me away from the café. I paused and stood in place. Loki turned around and tried to coerce me, but I grabbed his hands. He was looking down at me with so much concern that it started scaring me.

"I am _not_ leaving you here while that maniac is on the loose," he said gravely, "I'm not going to work tonight; let's go home, sweetheart."

I reclaimed my hands and wiped my eyes, calming myself down. I took a deep breath and shook my head.

"No, no. You go. I'll call you before we close—it'll be fine. He won't come back. You saw my boss, Loki," I said trying to reassure him. Loki crossed his arms and glanced off for a few seconds, his jaw tightening with anger.

"I can't work worrying about you," he said, "How do you know he's not following you? The bookstore was one thing, but I think that this was too much of a coincidence. I don't want you here," Loki said, placing his hands on my shoulders protectively.

"You don't know what he might have done if I wasn't there."

I started to cry again and Loki rubbed my shoulders comfortingly.

"Jasmine, if that man touches you again, I'm going to kill him." And I believed every word.


	5. Chapter 5

There was no way I could have convinced Loki not to go to work. He refused entirely, and I knew that he would have stood outside of that café and waited for me all night if he had to. So I took the rest of the evening off. My boss didn't ask me any questions when I told her I had to go, and that I wasn't coming in because I had business in Boston over the weekend. She could see Loki outside through the window looking in, and I guessed she didn't care where I went, so long as Loki didn't come in again and start anymore trouble. But it was my ex who had thrown the first punch. I didn't understand why he had to do that. He should have wanted to keep a lower profile, waited until I was alone, not that I wasn't thankful that Loki had been there. As I walked towards the door with my bag, I couldn't help noticing the broken floorboard where Loki's fist had fallen during the fight.

In the car, Loki kept asking me what my ex had done while I was at the register. He wasn't going to let it go.

"He just grabbed my wrist—that's all. So I threw some tea on him," I said. Loki stared at me while at a red light. He opened his mouth to say something, and was duly interrupted by his cell phone ringing. Loki sighed. He picked it up.

"Hello?"

There was a voice on the other end that I couldn't quite hear. Loki started to move slowly as the light turned green. He pulled into his familiar spot in front of the apartment complex. He sighed.

"Are you _sure_ you can't do it without me? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

I stared out the window.

"I will be in. Just give me about half an hour," Loki said before hanging up. I wondered what was going on. He sighed.

"Something wrong?" I asked. Loki shook his head and got out of the car. I stepped out and closed my door. He had his hand on my back in seconds and pulled me in towards him as we made it up the steps, as if he thought Jared was waiting in the shadows to jump out and attack.

"I have to go in. Something came up," Loki said once we were in the elevator.

"I really don't want to, but apparently it's urgent," he said. I reached up to cup Loki's chin, "Darling?"

He still wore that worried look, but I was just fascinated at his renewed skin. There were no bruises on his face.

"You heal fast," I said in amazement. Loki grinned. He let me step out of the elevator first before following me down the hall to his apartment. He opened the door and sighed, letting me in first, muttering something about some incompetent idiots not being able to figure out a situation. I paused in taking my shoes off and turned around to find Loki standing in the doorway, an eyebrow raised in what looked like utter irritation as his fingers texted rapidly on his phone.

"Loki, what's the matter?" I asked. After a short three seconds, Loki pushed his phone into his pocket and took a large step inside towards me. He placed his hands on my arms.

"What's the matter? The matter is that the woman I love was brutally assaulted mere moments ago, and now I have to go help that incompetent, egotistical—" Loki stopped speaking abruptly, his eyes travelling down between us. He shook his head. At that point, I knew there was something going on that he wasn't telling me.

"Their called students for a reason, Loki," I said as comfortingly as I could, "they have no idea what they're doing. And I'm fine. I promise," I said. Loki looked into my eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked me, pushing his hands under my arms and wrapping them around me, gripping me against his body.

"Loki, go to work. I'll be alright here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay in, okay?"

He sighed, hesitating. And then his lips pressed firmly to my forehead where they stayed for several seconds. I pulled my head back to gaze up at him and he immediately pressed his lips to mine. We hadn't kissed this particular way all week, and my body immediately began to cue up for more than just a kiss. Loki reluctantly broke the kiss.

"It's just that I've lost a lot. I've been through…a lot. And there's a lot I haven't told you…about me. It's not because I don't want to, I just want to keep you out of my own darkness. It is mine to work over, and I know that you have your darkness too. Everything you've told me about that bastard, what he's done to you, well, it makes me sick, Jasmine. I can't be held responsible for what I might do if I see his face ever again. I don't want to lose you."

As he was speaking, Loki's grip on me tightened.

"I just hope that you can trust me."

I nodded, "I _do_ trust you, Loki. You haven't given me a reason not to," I said, wondering momentarily why he'd said that. And then I thought again about him coming home so late. What had he been doing that required him to be on campus so late at night? I felt my feet being lifted off the floor as Loki pulled me further up into his arms, until we were at eye level. I felt like a ragdoll in the arms of a giant, and I smiled.

"I want to take you away from here. This weekend, we need to pay a visit to Boston, to look at some houses. I've been wanting to buy a house for a while now, anyway," Loki admitted. I had wrapped my legs around his waist. I nodded. Loki smiled. He put me down slowly.

"Lock the door," he said before backing out into the hallway. I stood there with my hand on the knob, looking at him while he stood there patiently just outside of the doorframe. I started to feel more aroused just looking up at him. I closed and locked the door. I heard him test the knob on the other side for a bit before his steps retreated down the hall. I ran into the bedroom and took my clothes off, sitting on the bed. I had to touch myself to get over the way Loki's kiss had left me flustered. I brought myself to orgasm, but wished that it were Loki's fingers feeling me from the inside…

I wanted to look at a book I'd been curious about for a while, so while I was in the loft, I grabbed the chair and brought it towards the book case. I reached the top shelf, where Loki never had to do anything but extend his arm to retrieve any volume which sat up there. But as I pulled out the book I'd been curious of, the shelf gave way and began to move. For a moment I feared it would fall on me. I jumped off the chair I was standing on only to realize that the bookshelf was turning inwards, like a revolving door. I pulled the chair out of the way. There was darkness beyond the case, and I backed up. Lights slowly flickered on to reveal an entire room I had never seen before. I stepped cautiously inside to find what looked like an arsenal. There were all kinds of weapons I'd never seen before, things that didn't look man made, but possibly extraterrestrial. Yeah, there was a lot Loki wasn't telling me.


	6. Chapter 6

It was eleven-thirty at night before I heard the door begin to open. I had been sitting on the couch with Loki's copy of Dante's Inferno. He'd already read the whole thing to me, but I loved it so much that he would read me a canto a night. I couldn't wait for him to come back and read it before I went to bed, so I was getting through it myself. Loki looked surprised to see me when he walked into the living room.

"I thought you'd be asleep," he said, crossing his arms and grinning. I glanced up at the loft where I'd skillfully closed the door as if I hadn't found that secret room. I had meant to ask Loki about it, but he looked tired and I figured it was too late to start getting into a serious conversation. I nodded and stood up.

"I was waiting for you," I said, walking towards him. He pulled me into his arms.

"I'm going to take a shower. Clear my head of this day. Care to join me?" Loki asked seductively.

"I already took mine," I admitted, "I'll wait for you," I said walking towards the bedroom. I listened to Loki in the kitchen for a bit before he passed by the bedroom door, already holding his shirt in his hands. I put the book down and waited for Loki to come to bed. I didn't like not kissing him goodnight. When he came to the room, he stood in front of the closet, going through some clothes.

"There's an, um, event happening next Friday night. I'm conducting a few cellists for a party. Would you like to come with me?" Loki asked, turning halfway around. He'd been going through his suits, which I realized upon sitting up in bed.

"Of course, honey," I said. I hadn't seen Loki conduct before and I thought it might be an interesting experience.

"What's the party for?" I asked. Loki sighed.

"I don't know if you've heard of him…Tony Stark? He's opening a new sustainable building. It's some sort of sponsor event. I'd rather not go, but some of my students are part of the band that's playing. They asked me to join them," Loki explained. I had stepped carefully out of bed and approached him. I wrapped my arms around his pale body and he stopped pulling through hangers. He felt warm from the shower, but he was dry. I knew enough about his past to know that he'd been through a complete mess with some very powerful people. But he'd been exonerated just enough to try and make up for his past mistakes.

"Loki, what's wrong?" I asked him, kissing the center of his back. Loki turned around.

He smiled and shook his head. I took it as him not wanting to go into detail, so I let it be. I wanted to take his mind off of whatever it was troubling him, so I forgot about the secret room and Loki's past. I slowly pulled the towel from around his waist, dropping it on the floor where I stood. Loki didn't take his eyes off of me, but I felt his hands trace down my sides and stop at my hips, the fingers burrowing beneath the waist of my panties.

"Hmmm," Loki said, as if trying to figure something out.

"I think you look much prettier without these on," he said, a sly grin gracing his face. His hands travelled under my tank top.

"In fact, you are the most beautiful when you're not wearing anything but me," he said, stepping backwards towards the bed. I sat in it and Loki knelt in front of me, pulling my shirt over my head. We'd both had a less than satisfying day and we needed to forget about it. Loki went for my panties next, and when he got them off, he grabbed my right leg and started kissing on the shin. I laughed and laid back, and shortly found Loki gripping both my legs. He looked down at me before lowering his head between them. I touched his hair, still damp from the shower, and when I felt his soft kisses over my sex, my body heated up a few more degrees. I sat up, pulling up Loki's head. He looked a little confused as to why I'd stopped him. I kissed him firmly, wrapping my arms around his long neck, and he sat up straight, laughing beneath my kiss. His voice tickled me. I pushed him as hard as I could so he went crashing down on the bed and his verdant eyes widened up at me from where he laid on his back.

"Oh, you want to dominate me?" Loki asked slyly, that mischievous voice melting me. Loki grabbed me and flipped and I was on my back before I could blink.

"Two can play at that game, flower," he said in the most seductive way that I got wet almost immediately. Loki started to kiss down my body tantalizingly. He gripped my legs and held them apart. I tried to sit up again and Loki pressed a hand firmly to my chest, sitting up only a moment to speak.

"Let me taste you," he said. It sounded more like a command than a request. I fell back only to my elbows and stared down at Loki as he pulled my legs over his shoulders. I felt Loki's breath on my inner thighs, against my womanhood. He kept kissing me there, slowly letting my legs fall over his shoulders and down his arms. I reveled in the smoothness of his skin against mine. He gripped the backs of my knees and held them apart, and I gasped when I felt his tongue. Loki moaned against me and I felt the tip of his appendage curve upward to the front wall inside of me and rub it roughly, mercilessly. He started to caress my insides with his tongue, the lips gently kissing at me all the while. I gasped and Loki gripped my legs, keeping them in place while he explored me. I got wet quickly. I gazed at the clock and found myself beginning to writhe beneath Loki's mouth in a matter of minutes. I started to paw at his shoulders between my legs, feeling myself getting closer. Loki's hands found mine and I let his fingers weave into them where he pressed them forcefully down against the mattress.

"Loki," I whimpered, feeling my orgasm building up. He never stopped lapping, delving as deeply as he could. My lower back arched and I came undone. Loki didn't stop. He went on even after I thoroughly climaxed, savoringly gormandizing over me. Loki moaned and I felt an ice cold chill between my thighs and gasped. My legs began to feel weak and I started dropping them. Loki sat up, licking his lips, his eyes no longer green, but red like they were in his Jotunn form. There was absolute lust in his expression. I gasped and sat up, backing away from him a bit. His eyes greened again, but he looked just as aroused.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, hesitating in moving towards me. He relished the taste of me again, his tongue sliding across his bottom lip.

"I didn't hurt you, Jasmine, did I?" he asked, the lust fading a little bit in his eyes where concern began to build. I shook my head slowly. I simply had forgotten that he could transform like that; it appeared that Loki hadn't even known about his eyes. He seemed to have the least control over changing form when touching me. I could see that he was aroused when I gazed down at his excitement. That seductive grin met Loki's lips. I moved towards him. I was thoroughly wet enough to accommodate him. Loki watched me all the while as I mounted him and slowly eased him inside of me. I supposed it couldn't have hurt to have another orgasm. Loki moaned in appreciation, gripping my shoulders and leading me back slowly to lie down again. I was going to let him finish in whatever way he pleased. Loki was gentle anyway. He told me that I had tasted sweet, like the nectar of a flower, that he'd wanted to know from the moment he'd fallen for me what I tasted like. It brought such fire to my cheeks that I couldn't look directly into his eyes. I closed them and let him take me over completely. I began to feel sore, but in a pleasurable way, yet still wishing I'd waited for this instead of touching myself earlier as Loki rocked his hips roughly. The way my legs were positioned back allowed him such deep passage that I felt we had become one entity. He filled me so completely that there was no more room left. Loki's moaning was music to my ears. His chin rested atop my head so that I could kiss at his beautiful long neck, nip at the Adam's apple. I got that familiar sensation inside of me. Loki's thrusts became wild, yet firm and concentrated and I gripped his biceps in anticipation.

"Don't close your eyes," Loki breathed, wanting me to see him when he climaxed. I looked and his face was so beautiful that I could have cried. He planted his hands tightly under my head so that it rested in his palms, lifting my head up to meet his lips for a messy kiss that allowed me to taste myself. I was in fact sweet. Loki started to groan desperately, unlike I'd heard him groan before, and I knew that he was close. I met his eyes in the moment of his orgasm, and for the third time, I felt his cold release deep inside of me. Loki was trembling, letting his weight down on me enough that it was nearly uncomfortable, but I didn't mind it. My legs had certainly fallen asleep at that point, but he was thoroughly satisfied, and that was all I'd wanted. I glanced past Loki's shoulder to find that a complete fifteen minutes had gone by during this round. He was sighing against my skin with relief.

When I awoke again, it was because I heard something moving. I opened my eyes to find that I was lying perfectly still on my back. And then one of my blouses went flying over my head—literally—as I gazed up at the ceiling. I gasped and sat up with a fright, clasping my hand over my chest. Loki turned slightly from where he was sitting naked at the foot of the bed. It was very early in the morning, and I could tell from the blueness of the light coming in through the curtains.

"I'm sorry, flower. I didn't mean to wake you just yet. Go back to sleep," Loki said gently, but I couldn't ignore the flourish of his hands as more of my clothes soared gracefully out of the drawers and were folded into a suitcase that lay waiting open on the floor. My eyes widened and I rubbed them to make damn sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. It registered in my brain that Loki was in fact using telekinesis, and that no, I was not dreaming. I stared at things moving about, Loki gazing at me intently, seeming to not realize how I hadn't seen him do this before. I don't know why it still surprised me to see him do things like this, as if I wasn't well aware of the fact that my boyfriend was far from human. Loki finally realized why I was staring. He put his hands down and my bra drifted slowly to the bed, landing on my legs. I picked it up.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Loki said, standing up.

"Go back to sleep, flower. I just wanted to pack your things and make breakfast before we head to Boston."

I shook my head slowly.

"I'm not scared," I said honestly, as I could tell from the desiderium in his visage that he was somewhat saddened by the way I had in fact been frightened momentarily. He stood there tall and beautiful, completely naked. The early blue light dyed his pale skin the same colour.

"Are you okay?" I asked Loki. He was generally awake before me most days, but this time just seemed different. He looked a bit troubled, as if he were trying not to let me see how troubled he was. He grinned, and I didn't buy it.

"Loki, what's wrong? You looked upset about something yesterday, the way you look right now. I hope you know that you can tell me anything…you won't scare me away."

Loki gazed at me a moment, and then I felt myself lifting from beneath the sheets. I knew that I wasn't moving of my own accord because I'd been sitting perfectly still. I gasped a second, feeling my butt leave the mattress. I was floating about five feet above the bed, Loki's gaze holding me in situ. I dropped my bra as my body began to drift towards Loki where he stood, having backed up a few steps from the bed. Though his hands were nowhere near me, it felt as if he was somehow touching me. I felt his presence as if his arms were cradling me. Slowly, I floated until I was right up against Loki's bare chest and he embraced me.

"Nothing," he said calmly, letting his forehead rest atop my head, "Shall we head out early? There's a nice hotel I had in mind."


	7. Chapter 7

Loki was driving us into Boston. The sun was very beautiful the more it rose. Loki's sunglasses hid his eyes from me. I stared at his hand on the rest between our seats. I placed my hand on top of his. He glanced at me and grinned, turning his palm up and twisting his fingers into mine. We didn't speak much on the way, but Loki had asked me a few times whether I was okay. My answer was always the same because I couldn't have felt more in love with Loki. I was quiet because I was still trying to figure out how to ask him about the massive arsenal hiding in that secret room of his apartment. I figured that Loki didn't _want_ me to know about it, or he would have told me. However, it didn't stop me from wondering.

When we finally arrived at the hotel, we only had time to put our bags down before Loki answered the call from the realtor who was meant to show us around. We drove into a place called Brighton and I could barely focus on the beautiful (and expensive) houses we were looking at, because I couldn't ignore the way that the realtor kept staring at Loki while we ventured further into the second home. As Loki and I ascended the steps to the second floor, the realtor grinned and flipped her deep brown curls. Loki clasped my hand habitually and I saw the realtor's smile flicker into a straight line. Part of me couldn't have blamed the realtor for checking out Loki's behind as he leant out of the French doors onto the balcony in the master bedroom. I knew that he looked glorious with his silky hair pulled back neatly into a ponytail. He had a perfect posture and the clearest green eyes anyone could have ever seen, his features perfectly chiseled as if at the hands of da Vinci himself. I leant back against the wall and crossed my arms in a pleased manner. Loki was mine, and mine alone.

"Come see the yard, flower," Loki said without turning around, beckoning me with a wave of his graceful hand. I walked over to where he was standing and quickly found that hand on the small of my back.

"There's a gazebo, too," the realtor said, her voice nearly disappointed when Loki pulled me in closer to himself.

"But you could take that down if you don't like it," she said. Loki turned his head back to face her politely.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said, leaning his head down to my height.

"Imagine our children out there in the summer, Jas," he said, his voice so saccharine that I swear I tasted the sugar on his lips when he kissed me. I still had my eyes closed as he turned around to ask the realtor how old the house was. She stuttered momentarily, choking on her words. I quickly caught on that Loki had sensed her flirtatiousness, and my subsequent jealousy, because he started to massage my hip as if absently, but he knew exactly what he was doing. The rest of the time that she showed us houses, the realtor stopped throwing Loki suggestive gazes. He made sure to touch me in any small possible way whenever she was looking. I had to hold it in not to break out laughing at her. I began to understand Loki's possessiveness about me; I hadn't been able to stand that woman looking at him like she was.

When we returned to the hotel, I kicked off my heels. Loki and I had been dressed to the nines for the entire day. He'd said that looking expensive was the best way to get the realtor to show us the best places. Though, as Loki slipped out of his Armani vest, I knew for certain he could have afforded any goddamn house he wanted. I sighed, finally feeling my calcaneus correct itself. Loki laughed.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"That realtor drove you stark raving mad," he said, grinning with teeth. My face reddened.

"Don't flatter yourself," I said, smacking Loki's chest playfully as I started past him. But I didn't make it far because Loki grabbed me, causing me to drop my heels.

"And if it had been the other way around, I would have made her watch me take you—right outside on that balcony, the jealous wench."

Every hair on the back of my neck stood up at the lascivity of Loki's voice. He was gripping my waist firmly, massaging my hips. A moan escaped me as Loki lifted me up off my feet and placed me on the bureau behind me. He kept his eyes locked on mine as he tucked his hands deeply under my dress and found the top of my stockings. Loki pulled them down my legs, slowly, intimately, in every way that made me wet. His knuckles brushing firmly over my skin caused me to shiver.

"There's no need to be jealous, pet," Loki grinned, "I'm all yours."

I gasped when Loki picked me up off the dresser and carried me to the bed. He laid me there carefully and began to kneel on the carpet in front of me. He went for my underwear next and pulled them off in a flash. I sat up and gasped as he pulled me with alacrity towards the edge of the bed where he was gazing attentively beneath my dress. He pulled me closer until my legs were resting perfectly over his shoulders, and began applying gentle kisses to my inner thighs, exhaling and moaning simultaneously. I pulled Loki's hair out of the ponytail and he gazed up at me and smiled before taking me even closer to his head.

"You know where my loyalty lies, flower." I fought not to moan too loudly as Loki's tongue delved inside of me deeply. My body thoroughly ached from the previous night, but the slight discomfort was overcome by pleasure. I began to breathe unevenly, pushing my hands through Loki's hair. I panted and sighed, beginning to weep in euphoria. Loki gazed up at me a few seconds, pushing my dress back further so that I could behold his ministrations.

Though his lips were busy being attached to me, I could see the smile in his eyes, which slowly crimsoned until the irises were completely red. When Loki exhaled again, the breath was freezing against my skin, but I threw my head back and moaned, as it was oddly a good sensation. Finally, I gave way and laid back, pulling my hands through my hair frantically, moaning obscenities. I began rolling my hips forward, no longer able to control myself. Loki's grip on my legs deadbolted, holding me in place, yet I squirmed nonetheless. Loki's tongue and lips left me suddenly. I sat up to see why he'd stopped only to find him undressing frantically. He kicked off his shoes and made his way on top of me, gripping his hardness with anticipation. He didn't bother to take my dress off, but merely kept the skirt of it above my hips before positioning himself between my legs and searching for my entrance. There was utter desperation on his face until he found me and admitted his length. Loki sighed and his eyes closed a moment. When they opened again, I found them to be green. I moaned painfully, gripping Loki's shoulder blades. He never winced when I sunk my nails into his skin. He was gentle all the way until orgasm, at which point I felt the nerves firing through my entire being uncontrollably. I laid on my side facing Loki, who was propped up on his elbow, rubbing my hip beneath my dress. I loved the way that life filled his every feature and brightened his skin in the afterglow.

"I am nobody's but yours, Jasmine," Loki said, finally breaking the silence. I smiled.

"I knew that," I said wryly. Loki laughed and the vibrations of his voice caused me to shiver pleasurably. Loki's hand slipped between my legs a little bit and massaged my inner thigh. I winced, shifting so that they parted further. I lifted the skirt of my dress to find that I was thoroughly bruised. Loki's eyes widened a little bit, but eased up when I laughed about it.

"There's no way I'm going to be able to walk for at least a few days. How are we supposed to see houses if I can't even get around?" I asked. I thought I saw Loki blush. This was the first time we had sex two days in a row. I hadn't been given enough time to properly recover from the previous night.

"You should have stopped me," Loki said sweetly, sitting up and pulling my dress back further to inspect my inner thighs. I cupped his face in my hands and he looked at me.

"I'm fine," I said reassuringly. Loki sighed, half believing me. He kissed my temple and stood up out of bed. I watched him get dressed again before he extended a hand to me from the foot of the bed, leaning against it on one knee.

"I'm taking you to dinner, like a proper gentleman. This evening should have started there," Loki explained honestly. I cocked my head to the side before finally registering that he wasn't kidding. I knew he felt badly about bruising me, but honestly, I really didn't mind it. If anything, they would be reminders of his passion every time I saw them. Loki said we could go anywhere that I wanted, but I had no idea where I wanted to go, seeing as I didn't know the area very well. We ate somewhere upscale anyway, and when we got back, I was so exhausted that I just wanted to get ready for bed. I showered and Loki spent some time on the computer going through more house searches. I walked out of the bathroom slightly dripping still from my shower. Loki looked very preoccupied in what he was doing. I stood there a moment and watched him. He never turned to look in my direction, and then his phone rang. He looked to see who was calling and stood up. He smiled.

"I've really got to take this, flower. Go to bed. I'll be right there," he said, kissing my head momentarily before grabbing his key card and walking out of the hotel room. Loki disappeared somewhere, because I couldn't hear him from inside the room. I went into my suitcase which Loki had packed and found a pair of pajamas. I put them on and crawled into the bed. I started thinking about that secret room again. Loki wasn't back by the time I fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The Friday of the event Loki had invited me to arrived. I came home early from work to find that Loki was already dressed. My jaw literally dropped when I saw that he was wearing the sharpest tuxedo I'd ever laid eyes on. He'd gotten a slight haircut and it was gelled back perfectly, black as night. I just stood there staring and Loki grinned.

"You look…" I couldn't even finish my sentence. He was so beautiful that if I hadn't known it before, I knew it then that Loki was far from human.

"Yes?" he coaxed, dipping his head slightly as if to urge me on.

"Like a god," I said, unable to find a more perfect description.

"That I am, flower," Loki said, stepping towards me with a gusto that that took my breath away. He surrounded me in those long arms and the kiss he gave me left me even further breathless.

"I'm a bit early, but I wanted to have ample time. Get ready; I want to see you in the dress," he said. I cocked my head to the side, confused, as I'd already picked out something to wear. Loki laughed mischievously.

"Is there something I don't know?" I asked, as I had planned on wearing my best pencil skirt and a Victorian blouse.

"I bought you something," Loki said, lifting me up in his arms so that I wasn't on my feet anymore. He gave me a spin as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"But I thought you said I looked best when I wore nothing but you," I said seductively. Loki grinned.

"Nice try, but I've only just precisely gotten into this thing. There's plenty of time for that later, Jasmine," he said equally as seductively, and I knew he wasn't lying. Loki set me down and pushed me gently towards the bathroom.

"Go shower so I can do your hair and makeup, then we'll go," he said. _Do my hair? Makeup? _I thought. This was going to be beyond interesting. I washed myself up as quickly and thoroughly as I could, glad I'd shaved my legs the previous night as I slathered moisturizer on my skin once I dried off. I could hear the piano playing in the other room where Loki was waiting for me. Gnossienne 1 bounced off the walls of the apartment. Loki knew how much I loved Satie. As I finished moisturizing my skin, I walked into Loki's room and found the closet open and waiting or me. There was a large peach coloured bow on a black clothing cover. Just beneath it, I could see something peach and mellifluous hanging out of the bottom. There was a white tag on the hanger. As I picked up the tag to read it, Loki transitioned smoothly into Gymnopédie No.1. _To my most beautiful flower, Jasmine Lucille_, read the tag. I had to pause and catch my breath; it felt as if I were living in a dream at that very moment. I slowly unzipped the cover to find the most amazing dress I've seen in all my life. It was peach and backless, the fabric I was sure had to be real silk. I slipped into the dress and glanced in the mirror in Loki's room. I noticed that I could see the lines of my underwear beneath it, so I took them off. Luckily I didn't need a bra, as the front was a bit padded for the bust. I started out into the room where Loki was sitting at the piano with his back to me, pausing at Gymnopédie No.2 when he heard me coming.

"When did you have time to get this, Loki? It's amazing," I said, completely surprised. He turned around and stood up.

"And it fits perfectly. How'd you—"

"I took your measurements in your sleep."

I started laughing, but even as Loki smiled while he approached me, I knew he wasn't lying, "You may thank my friend Rappaport the next time we pay him a visit. He's quite handy with a thread and needle for his age," Loki explained. I thought about the curly haired old man and was honestly surprised to find that the dress was handmade. I looked down at it in bewilderment, and shortly recalled that I'd found no tag on the inside of it. He held both hands behind his back and I found his gaze to be full of what looked like trickery.

"_You look stunning_," Loki said sincerely, his eyes looking me up and down slowly, almost hungrily.

"…What else have you done?" I asked him nearly hesitantly. Loki laughed and pulled his hands from behind his back to reveal two matching peach heels that couldn't possibly have been behind his back when he'd stood up from the piano. I didn't bother trying to figure out where they came from as Loki led me to the piano bench where I sat. He knelt down in front of me and took my left leg in his hand, the dress falling back a ways to reveal my legs up to an inch or two above my knees. As Loki took my foot in his hand, he kissed my big toe and I laughed. He carefully fit the shoe onto my foot, and it fit perfectly.

"Loki, they're _amazing_. Where did you—?"

"I made them," he said proudly, picking up my right leg and placing the other shoe on my foot. He stood up and took my hands to lead me up.

"Now," he said, rubbing his fingers across his lips and gazing at me as if to try and decide on something. Loki then waved a hand across my face and I felt my hair moving into entirely different positions. He was using magic. He waved his pale fingers and my hair felt dry in a flash as it moved into twists and turns on my head. Loki took a step back to admire his work and a smile I hadn't seen before met his lips. It was a different kind of smile, not mischievous, nor lascivious, but agape like a love I hadn't known before. Loki picked up a full length mirror that had been resting against a wall.

"Well, do you like it?" he asked hopefully, holding the mirror up perfectly to my newfound height in the peach heels. There was an intricate braid around the crown of my head, which was finishing weaving itself in circles around my skull, leaving some bangs curled out lusciously to the left side of my face. I pressed my hand to my lips in some shock.

"Hang on," Loki said, and he waved his hand once more. My nails turned a light peach shade right before my eyes, and my lips glowed as if I'd just put on matching peach gloss. I'd literally transformed in under sixty seconds.

"Well?" Loki asked again. I'd momentarily forgotten he was even there, until I gazed up at his eyes which were the only thing I could see behind the mirror he was holding so that the top half of his head showed.

"Why haven't you done this to me before? It would have made getting ready for work ten times faster!" I said, though I wasn't angry at all. Loki laughed and I turned to check out the rest of the braid and my back which looked very sexy in the dress. It hugged me just right, as if I had tried it on before.

"This is…"

I couldn't even find words as I stood up to my full height with confidence and turned to look at both of my sides. Every angle was perfect. And then I took the mirror out of his hands and placed it on the coffee table before throwing my arms around him.

"I love you, Loki."

Watching Loki conduct was going to be very hard to do, because I wanted nothing more than to rip the tuxedo off of him and do things that weren't appropriate for public. I was slightly nervous as I walked towards the building where there was already a ton of people and fancy cars and cameras flashing. Loki held me closer as we made it inside. A man whose face I recognized from somewhere started towards us as soon as we entered the building. I couldn't help noticing that he walked with a sort of enticing bravado.

"Stark," Loki said pleasantly, stopping where he stood. Tony Stark was extending his hand to me, telling me that it was a pleasure to meet me before going off about his building and a bunch of other things I didn't quite understand. Two redheaded women joined him casually. One of them stared at Loki a bit hesitantly, and when I looked at him, he seemed to be returning that stare. My heart jumped inside my chest a moment until I felt my hand being shook again.

"Pepper, this is Jasmine, the cellist," Stark said.

"Nice to meet you," I said.

"Natasha Romanoff," said the second redhead, shaking my hand with a firm grip. I immediately sensed that she wasn't the type of person anyone messed with, hoping I'd understood the hesitant stare Loki had given her.

"Are you part of the band?" Natasha asked me.

"Oh—no, not me. I'm with Lo—uh—" I paused, shaking my head. Tony Stark started to laugh and Loki cleared his throat. Tony stopped laughing and I had a feeling that I was out of some kind of secret loop.

"She's with me," Loki said.

"This is ridiculous. Let's stop pretending she doesn't know she's sleeping with an ex-super villain," Stark said after rolling his eyes a moment. Loki's expression was blank when I looked at him again.

"Don't worry, honey. He's given up his evil ways and agreed to be a force of good—"

"Let's not spoil the night," Natasha interrupted. My heart rate slowed down again. Loki looked displeased, his jaw taut so that I knew he was gritting his teeth behind closed lips. I was shortly. Stark's eyes focused on mine.

"I'm really sorry, but I just thought you should know—"

"She does," Loki said calmly.

But even so, I knew without knowing what it was that there was something I didn't know.

"Pleased to meet you," came the voice of a very attractive man who was soon shaking my hand. Loki had let his arm drape around my waist where he rubbed my hip comfortingly.

"I'm Steve Rogers," said the man. I knew who he was, and not just because Loki had told me a bit about him. I was then introduced to a Doctor Banner, at which point I felt Loki's grip on me intensify. He and the man exchanged subtle glances before everyone started to talk over drinks. Once we were away from the center of attention, Loki was still gripping my waist.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him. I found Loki's eyes to be scanning the room, as if he expected to see someone or something but wasn't seeing it.

"Of course," he said, but I couldn't shake this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"If you'll excuse me, I should really be giving a pep talk to my students. Some of them just arrived."

I nodded and Loki gave me a kiss on the cheek before wandering off.

"I really like your dress," Pepper said, appearing behind me where I was waiting for a drink. Before I knew it she and I were talking about my shoes. She couldn't believe that Loki had made them, and I admitted to feeling the same way. I started to relax and enjoy myself a bit. Shortly, there was some music in the background and I looked over to find the small band playing away casually. Loki's back was to me, but his arms moved with so much grace that I didn't wonder whether it was really him standing there. About half an hour passed before there were more people and conversations, and then Tony Stark was standing up on a raised platform in front of a massive holographic screen presenting some innovative developments in sustainable construction, going off about projects he was doing. The music had stopped right before this presentation, and I finally looked across the room where I saw Loki watching me instead of the presentation. I grinned when I saw him and he smiled. I finally decided to go catch up with him when Tony was finished presenting and people were applauding. Loki had to turn around to get the music going again. A server took my empty glass, and I realized for the first time that I needed to pee. I rushed towards the bathroom away from the party.

I felt happy, having gotten to mingle like I was some very important person, though I really didn't come from much money. The dress had gotten more compliments than anything I'd ever worn. I made myself a mental note to properly thank Loki later that night. I turned and lightly stepped on the automatic button. Me and automatic things never quite got along; they'd either turn on before I was ready, or they never did. The toilet flushed and as I turned back around, I saw a pair of non-feminine shoes on the other side of the stall. My heart stopped for a few seconds and I gasped. The feet walked a little bit closer.

"Who's there?" I asked, "I think you're in the wrong room," I said calmly, though I felt uneasy. I waited a moment, and gathered my courage before pulling the door open. Jared looked in at me with a type of triumph on his face that caused my heart to stop again. I gasped and started for the door, but he blocked my way instantly and the next thing I knew, my head was up against the blow dryer repetitively. I was so startled that I didn't have the chance to scream. Jared put his hand over my mouth as soon as he got me pinned up against the wall. I screamed, but I knew that no one could hear me over the loud voice as another presentation was starting.

"You ruined my life, Jas. I should be better off than I am now, and you're the reason I'm not. You see, the kind of shit you accused me follows a guy. It's hard enough getting work these days as an artist."

Jared put his hands around my throat and I struggled and tried to kick, the shoes falling right off my feet.

"I hate you, Jasmine," he said calmly before kissing me on the cheek. I cringed.

"I really hate you. Did you know that? Huh?" I turned my head when Jared tried to kiss my lips.

"So it's going to be like that," he said. There was a tearing noise as the dress ripped and Jared started pressing against me really hard. I was trying to break free, but he was stronger than me. I started to scream as loud as I could, and he kept telling me to shut up. I struggled as hard as I possibly could, but my head ached from having it slammed against the blow dryer. I started crying and then I saw the shine of a blade as Jared tucked it gently against my inner thigh. I started begging, fearing the worst. He cut down the inside of my leg and I screamed again. I screamed and cried for help as Jared drew back the knife in his hand. I closed my eyes, waiting in paralyzing fear for the worst pain I was sure I'd ever have felt in my life. The door opened and Jared was momentarily caught off guard, but it was long enough for him to be sent flying against the wall. Loki stormed forward and I fell against the floor, applying pressure to my inner thigh which bled profusely. I was too shocked to feel the pain as Loki gazed down at me, rushing in front of me to the floor. His eyes were wide as he pulled my hand away from where I was applying pressure.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. I was too shocked to speak, but I screamed when Jared got up and lunged at Loki, plunging the knife into his back deeply. Loki didn't scream, but he sat up straight and groaned in pain, his teeth baring. I cried uncontrollably. Jared backed up as Loki stood very slowly, turned around to face him. He reached behind his back with long arms and pulled the knife out, dropping it on the floor and kicking it under the stall. Realizing he'd failed to hurt Loki even just a little bit, Jared began to back up and fear washed over his face. Loki walked right up to him and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air.

"You think you can do anything you want to anyone whenever you want to?" Loki asked him, such poison coating each and every word. Jared was staring down at Loki in utter disbelief, his legs dangling in the air.

"You think that you can torture, massacre, and rape as you wish with no consequences? You are a monster. You should have stayed away when you had the chance. You don't deserve to walk this realm a free man. I'm going to kill you, and I'm going to enjoy it. Do you understand me?"

Jared finally began to struggle against Loki's grasp. He spat down in Loki's face and kicked him in the chest, but Loki didn't budge an ounce.

"You're going to rue the day you laid your hands on that woman to inflict pain. You will never hurt anyone again," Loki explained calmly. Jared's eyes were wide as Loki threw him up in midair so that he just barely touched the ceiling, and then as he came down Loki lifted his foot and kicked him so hard in the chest that he went flying into the wall so hard that it made an audible noise. The tile on the wall around Jared's body cracked and he stayed in place for a handful of seconds before he fell dead to the floor. Loki's fists were balled with fury and I could see the veins running through them from where I sat. His shoulders moved up and down with his shaky, rageful breaths. I felt myself beginning to get lightheaded.

"Loki?" I said weakly. His head perked up and turned slightly in the direction of my voice. Pieces of the wall began to crumble on top of Jared's corpse, and the bathroom door swung open as Natasha and Pepper rushed in. I had begun to feel lightheaded, and as I glanced down where I had been applying pressure to my thigh, I noticed a small pool of the red fluid collecting around me. Loki rushed over to me, catching me bodily before my head hit the floor.

"What the _hell_ happened here?" Natasha asked, closing the door quickly as Pepper created a diversion to keep the woman who was beginning to open the door from coming in.

"L-Loki," I said, barely able to hear my own voice. I felt that I was slipping away. Loki's eyes started tearing up as I began to have trouble keeping my eyes open.

"No. Flower, come back to me," he said, "Jasmine—don't you _dare_." but his voice was a vague echo.

I could hear classical music, a piano playing. I knew that it was one of my favourites; Summer by Comando. It had taken a while trying to convince Loki to listen to her; he generally had more of a taste for everything in antiquity. I also knew that the music was nearby from how clear it sounded. I started to open my eyes. I didn't recognize the place where I was; it was all glass for the most part. I could see above me through to the ceiling where there was somebody in a white coat walking around. I turned my head slowly to the side to see another glass wall, an empty hallway. I turned my head to the other side and saw Loki sitting with his eyes closed in a chair. He looked as if he were asleep, sitting back, yet up straight. He was still dressed in his tuxedo from the previous night, minus the blazer, so I knew he'd never left my side. I finally noticed the radio-like device sitting on a glass table beside him. It was where the music was coming from. As I sat up slowly, Loki's eyes opened and he stared over at me cautiously. I pulled back the white blanket that had been covering me to find that I was in a hospital gown, just as pure white as the sheet. For the quickest second, I thought I had died and gone to heaven; everything was so blindingly clean, white, or clear. I looked at the long line that had been sutured on my inner thigh. The wound was deep, and I knew I'd lost a great deal of blood.

"A lady in red said there was a woman screaming in the bathroom," Loki started, leaning in slowly, as if he didn't want to startle me.

"I didn't see you when I turned around…and when I saw _him_…" Loki's nostrils flared momentarily, his eyes filling to the brim with tears.

"I should be able to heal you. I haven't ever tried before."

"Why do you have an arsenal hidden away in your apartment?" I finally asked. Loki's lip quavered slightly, but before he could answer me, the door slid open at the push of a button and Pepper walked in with what looked like a care basket. Loki stood up, at which point I noticed the sun pouring in between some curtains that were partially drawn.

"Oh. I thought you'd be sleeping. I wanted this to be a surprise as soon as you woke up," she explained.

"It's not a problem," Loki said, thanking her and placing the basket at the foot of my bed. He then pulled the covers back over my waist as to keep my legs from showing. Suddenly I felt as if I were in a play or something, like nothing was real. I felt confused and disoriented. I couldn't feel my leg at all, despite how destroyed it had looked, and knew from the I.V. in my hand that it must have been the painkillers I was on.

"Jasmine is just waking up," Loki explained.

"Oh, well then I won't be in the way. I just wanted to come and see how you were doing," Pepper explained, "and I hope you enjoy your stay in the hospital wing. Welcome to the new Stark Tower," she added, stepping out of the room. She looked like she had just come from an important meeting and I knew we'd have to talk more about clothes. Loki's delicate looking fingers picked at the plastic on the care basket a bit uneasily.

"I want to know," I said, staring at his hands at the foot of my bed. Loki sighed.

"All of those calls you've been getting, you weren't really going to work, were you?" I pried. Loki's eyes looked very indecisive as they darted back and forth a moment.

"There wasn't time to get you to the emergency room—" Loki said, dismissing my question, though I know he'd heard me.

"Loki…_tell me_," I said, interrupting him, wanting to know what had been going on.

"I _was_," he said, the most innocent look washing over his face as he finally met my eyes. I winced upon moving my leg. Loki caught my ankle through the blanket.

"Don't try and move," he said, all the caring that I was used to in his voice.

"I've been…" he started, moving away from the bed slightly and folding his hands behind his back gracefully as he paced back and forth, his long legs striding along the glassy floor.

"Helping Stark out, among a few other things," he said.

"I quit teaching two weeks ago. I didn't want you to get caught up in worrying about anything, so I didn't tell you," he explained. I shook my head, still a bit confused.

"Everyone you met last night, well, I've told you about them, remember?" Loki paused. Though I hadn't seen Natasha in action, I could surmise from talking to her that she was a rather skilled individual. Steve looked like he could take on entire army on his own, and the doctor was so smart that I didn't bother speaking to him during most of our conversation, as I often didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Well, I've been helping them out from time to time. You see, I've been trying to make up for everything I've put them through in the past. I've been trying to repent, I guess. I helped Stark finish putting this place together," Loki said, glancing up at the ceiling momentarily.

"After no one else would trust me, he did," Loki said, with the slightest grin that I almost didn't see it.

"With _my_ knowledge of foreign mechanics, he couldn't really have resisted my input."

Loki focused on me once more. I shook my head.

"I know—I should have told you, but there are dangerous things we deal with as a team. I didn't want you getting caught up in the mix," he explained desperately, "And now that I've taken care of that putrid excuse for a man, you should be a lot safer…You weren't supposed to find that room, Jasmine," Loki said, stopping at the foot of my bed again.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like that."

"Okay," I said, unable to figure out what else to say.

"…Do you forgive me?"

There was no way I could have denied those emerald orbs as they pierced into my soul. I nodded slowly and Loki stared down, closing his eyes and sighing. I glanced over to the chair where he'd been sitting moments earlier. The dress I had been wearing was draped over the chair, and there was a red stain on it where it had been torn.

"I fear that I am regressing into the monster I once was," Loki said. As I stared at that dress, I could understand what he was getting at.

"He was going to kill me, Loki," I said plain and simply. He still wasn't looking at me when I faced him again.

"It felt good to kill him, Jasmine," Loki said calmly.

"Well, you gave him a chance to leave me alone, and he didn't take it. He got what he deserved. If you hadn't come when you did," I said, my voice lowering to a whisper, as if I couldn't bear to say it again, "He would have killed me. We both know that."

Loki looked at me with relief and nodded.

"Loki, you're not a monster. You're my saviour."

Slowly, he smiled.


End file.
